Congratulations to Victorian swimmer Ahmed Kelly (Yarra Plenty Waves, coached by Alex Hirschauer) for his outstanding achievement at the Paris Paralympic Games, winning a Silver medal in the 150m Individual Medley (SM3). This marks Ahmed's second consecutive Silver medal in this event, replicating his success from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where he also finished ahead of fellow Australian Grant "Scooter" Patterson (QLD), who took Bronze in both years.
Despite facing a challenging moment in the heats, where he was briefly disqualified, Ahmed's determination and resilience shone through as he competed in the final, finishing with an impressive time of 3:02.16, just behind Germany’s Josia Tim Alexander Topf.
Reflecting on the situation, Ahmed said, “The reason surprised me because I’ve been to four Games. They make mistakes. Officials are humans. We put that behind us and tried to put a real good race on tonight."
He continued, “Once the decision was overturned, it was all full focus for that final. It definitely didn’t impact that race. I’ve got quite a unique freestyle that may look like it’s butterfly, but in fact … it’s not exactly butterfly.”
Ahmed’s performance is a testament to his incredible skill and dedication. We're all incredibly proud of this remarkable accomplishment!
To stay updated with the progress of our Victorian athletes throughout the Paralympic Games, tune into the Nine's Wide World of Sports HERE. Heats from 5.30pm AEST followed by finals from 1:30am AEST. For the full schedule and results, click HERE.
Go the Vics!
